Xiaomi kicked off its 2022 launch cycle with the Xiaomi 11i 5G smartphone series in India. Xiaomi has been gunning for the under Rs 30,000 price segment with this series promising to provide a premium experience at a fraction of cost. This new Xiaomi 11i series has two models – Xiaomi 11i and Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge – with the difference between the two being battery capacity and fast-charging technology. Coming in at a starting price tag of Rs 24,999 for the vanilla model, the Xiaomi 11i offers the new Dimensity 920 5G SoC, a triple camera module with a 108MP sensor, stereo speakers, 67W charging support, and more. The HyperCharge model offers up to a whopping 120W fast charging support.
Let’s take a look at some of the devices that the Xiaomi 11i series will take on under Rs 30,000 in India.
Realme GT Master Edition – Rs 25,999
The GT Master Edition has arguably been the most selling smartphone for Realme in the sub Rs 30,000 segment. The phone comes with a 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC with up to 8GB RAM (up to 5GB of Dynamic RAM) and 256GB internal storage.
In terms of optics, the phone gets a triple camera setup on the back with a 64MP sensor, coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle and 2MP macro sensor. Selfies are taken care of by a 32MP sensor on the front. The phone is juiced by a 4,300mAh battery that comes with support for 65W fast charging. Networking features on the phone include Dual-band 5G, 4G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port.
Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G – Rs 26,999
Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G builds upon the Xiaomi 11 Lite with the much-needed addition of 5G. The phone comes in a slim and light form factor with added colors. It packs a 6.55-inch Full HD+ 10-bit OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ certification. It comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.
In terms of optics, the phone gets a triple camera setup on the back with a 64MP sensor, coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle and 5MP super macro lens. Selfies are taken care of by a 20MP sensor on the front. The phone also gets a host of goodies, like stereo speakers, Dolby Audio, IR Blaster, Dual-band Wi-Fi, Dual GPS, NFC but loses on the 3.5mm audio jack. Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G takes the lead with the promise of 3 Major Android version updates and 4 years of Security updates, something that is unheard of in the under Rs 30k market. The phone is juiced by a 4,250mAh battery that comes with support for 33W fast charging.
Vivo V23 5G – Rs 29,990
Vivo V23 5G goes head-to-head with the Xiaomi 11i series but the base variant for the phone barely makes the cut in our list. The phone comes with a solid construction that includes a flat metal frame with glass on both the front and back. It packs a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10 certification. It comes powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G SoC with up to 12GB RAM (3GB Dynamic RAM) and up to 256GB internal storage, which is further expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card.
On the optics front, the phone also gets a triple rear camera setup which is the common theme in the under Rs 30,000 segment. There is a 64MP sensor, coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle and 2MP macro sensor. The phone takes a lead in the selfie department with the big 50MP sensor and an additional 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens along with a Dual-Tone Spotlight flash. The phone sports a rather small 4,200mAh battery with support for 44W fast charging.
POCO F3 GT – Rs 28,999
POCO F3 GT has been the brand’s high-end product in the Indian market. The phone is predominantly aimed at gamers with its magnetic pop-out triggers and the gaming touch all throughout the body. The phone packs a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification. It comes powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G SoC with up to 8GB RAM (3GB Dynamic RAM) and up to 256GB internal storage.
Optics are handled by a triple rear camera setup with a 64MP main sensor, coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle and 2MP macro sensor. For crisp selfies, there is a 16MP sensor. The highlight of the phone is two magnetic pop-up triggers that can be deployed by a flick of a switch. The phone sports a rather large 5,160mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G – Rs 27,999
Successor to the original Nord, the OnePlus Nord 2 has quickly risen to the charts as an overall package in the budget space. The phone comes packed with a 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G SoC with up to 12GB RAM and up to 256GB internal storage. It’s got a refreshed design, in line with the existing OnePlus 9 series with Glass on both the front and back.
Moving on to the cameras, there is a triple sensor layout on the rear with a 50MP main sensor, coupled with 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP mono sensor. The punch-hole on the front houses a 32MP selfie shooter. OnePlus Nord 2 gets 12 5G bands support, one of the highest in any OnePlus smartphone yet. It is juiced by a 4,500mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging. Other features include Dual 5G & 4G, Dual-band Wi-Fi, Dual GPS, NFC, stereo speakers but it loses on the 3.5mm audio jack.
